Revelations
by 7SheWolfShaman7
Summary: Revelations. They are discoveries we find of ourselves and others. They are what keep us trying harder and harder, even though the battle may be lost. Revelations are simple and yet so much more than we think. Perhaps they may keep you looking toward the new sunrise in preparation for the day ahead. One-shots.
1. Her First Realization

**(A/N) Okay, seeing as this is my first attempt at a one-shot, I'd really appreciate some reviews, but go easy on me! (I'm fragile.)**

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"Go," I said, mostly to myself, my crystal blue eyes shimmering, but I refused to let myself cry. _Go._ That word seems so final, but I guess it should be. _No! Don't think like that!_ I told myself. _He'll come back. He'll survive this._ But even as I chanted it in my mind, it seemed like it hurt too much to believe it, to know which way this battle would go. _Don't cry Astrid! Don't cry!_

Hiccup flew through the sky as fast as a beam of sunlight hitting the dark shadows of the morning. Then in one fluid motion, the Night Fury changed direction. There was a flash of black in the air, and I looked up to see Toothless the Night Fury and Hiccup going straight up. _What is he doing?_ Then, a moment later, I could see a dot of that same black emerging from the clouds. Toothless and Hiccup were diving straight down. The two fell, and fell… and fell. _What is he doing?_ That dot became a blurry line and they were suddenly baring down on the Red Death. _What is he doing?_ A blast of light knocked the screaming Red Death to the ground, creating a tremor in the earth that sent me flying. When I got back to my feet, I rushed to the rest of the warriors, all grouped beside the cliff and watching the ensuing events.

My head turned, and the Red Death was spreading it's tattered wings, revealing several holes in them. Those wings thrust forcefully down, and the blast of wind it made knocked many warriors off balance. The mountain-sized dragon flapped those wings until it went airborne. It followed Toothless and Hiccup into the clouds, where no one could see them.

"Where is he?" asked Stoik frantically, eyes searching left to right, looking for any sign of where they were.

Then there was the familiar flash of white light, the whistle it created, and for a moment the clouds were lit up, and I saw the silhouette of the Red Death. It roared in pain. Multiple shots rang out, exploding over the great dragon. _C'mon Hiccup! Take this thing down then get out of there! Please…_

And all of a sudden the sky seemed to explode with a fury of fire. The clouds became a smoky inferno. The clouds turned a dark gray, almost black, and nothing could be seen beyond. There would be no way to tell if Hiccup was okay. But, as it turns out, it didn't stay that way for long. At the base of the smoky clouds, a shadow appeared, a trail of smoke barely visible right behind it. Within the black figure, I could see a bright orange color. _Toothless's tail is on fire._

Toothless and Hiccup were diving at the ground, with the Red Death following closely behind. _Please go faster Hiccup! She's getting close enough to swallow you!_ It was almost too suspenseful to watch, but I knew I had to. I had to keep looking, for this may very well be the last ride Hiccup ever has. I looked down for a moment. _Stop thinking like that!_ But who am I kidding? Everyone knows he'll probably be killed. The thought creates a lump in my throat, and I stifle a gasp.

My eyes fly back to Hiccup and Toothless in the sky, and my heart drops. _They're coming in too fast! They'll never make it! Hiccup, what are you doing?_ The Night Fury was plummeting to Earth at breakneck speed, and the Red Death followed suit. _Slow down, you idiot!_ My breath quickened when I spotted the Red Death opening its mouth, filling with the gas that signaled the flames that were about to come. And with a dragon this size, there's no way he'd be able to escape the enormous fire. The Red Death would live, and Hiccup would have given everything for nothing.

But Hiccup, above all else, is the smartest Viking I've ever seen. And at the last moment, when the blaze of the giant dragon was about to come, Hiccup flipped Toothless in midair, shooting a whitish-purple blast into the gas-filled mouth. The gas turned to flame, flame to fire, and fire to a blaze. Blaze to inferno. The entire inside of the dragon was on fire, and by this time they were nearing the ground. Seeing this, the Red Death frantically opened its wings, but the small holes in them began to tear, and the wings were shredded. There was nothing to stop it from crashing to the ground. Toothless and Hiccup flipped out of the way just in time, narrowly missing being crushed. As the Red Death connected with the earth, the tremor it created sent every warrior sprawling, and the body of the mountainous dragon exploded.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them. Hiccup and Toothless were flapping hard against the flames that were chasing them, but the Night Fury's burning tail fell off, and the armored tail of the Red Death crashed into them. From my place on the ground, I could see Hiccup fall from Toothless, and the desperate Night Fury flapping hard back into the flames, reaching out for his rider, his best friend._ Hiccup… no._

The world seemed to grow quiet, and I could no longer see the boy and the dragon. The sky was filled with amber fire, the brightness of it blinding all of those who looked on. _Where is he?_ I chanted frantically. _Where is Hiccup?_

The explosion ceased, and all that was left was a cloud of white smoke. Next to me, Stoick the Vast raced into the blind fog. "Hiccup!" he screamed. "Hiccup! Son!" He alternated between coughing from the smoke and screaming for his son. I raced after him, then heard him say quietly, "Hiccup." He sounded defeated, gone. "Oh, son. I did this."

I raced in on the seen, then stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes going wide. Stoik sat kneeling beside an unconscious Toothless. The saddle and stirrups were tattered, the artificial tail was gone, and Hiccup was nowhere to be seen.

And what really scared me, besides the grief, was the emptiness inside me. All feeling was gone. And I felt numb. _Cry!_ I screamed at myself in my mind. _Go ahead! It's over! Sob!_ But instead of tears coming, my insides began to tear up. _Hiccup's gone… he's gone. It's over… There's no more time._

_No. No. No._

_No._

A single tear washed over my cheek, and fell to the ground, landing next to a single snowdrop flower. The low-hanging blossom with it's pure white pedals closed stirred a bit, and opened up. _Oh, Thor, no._

Then, the Night Fury unfolded it's wings, revealing an unconscious boy. _Hiccup._

"Oh, he's alive! You brought him back alive," exclaimed the now quiet voice of  
Stoick. I heard him, but it was like a distant echo from the back of my mind. The only defining force of my body right now was the sight of the boy. He was bleeding, but he wasn't broken. He was alive.

I don't know what happened next. It was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders that shouldn't have been there in the first place. It was pure joy, happiness, relief, and something else, too. When I looked at the pale face of the boy in his father's arms, his auburn hair flowing in his face, I knew what it was. _Hiccup… you're alive. And I… I… I…_

_I love you, dragon boy._

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**(A/N) What did you think? I purposely made Astrid a bit OOC, but I attempted to make it believable. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Is there something I could have done better? Please Review!**


	2. You Took It Away, Then Gave It Back

_**You Took It Away, Then Gave It Back**_

A black hide against the night's sky. A flash of lightning every so often, a burst of explosive light that would illuminate his body for a split second. For that minuscule moment in time, he would be a dark shadow against the electrical flare, and he reveled in it. That rumbling grin spread across his face, and he closed his eyes, taking in the pure delight.

But there was no lightning that night. It was just dark, and he loved it just as much. He could slip through the indigo skies without a single pair of eyes detecting his movements. Gliding over the currents of the air, it felt like swimming, with the air just as delightfully cool to his skin as water. Or, perhaps swimming was like flying. It didn't matter. What mattered was that he was here. He could take in the salty scents of the ocean spray. He could feel the vapor of the clouds run over his skin as he plunged through them. He could see everything. He was gliding over the world, so free, and no one could ever take that away from him.

Then there were those who lived below, the two-leggers. They had free rein over the small island that others like himself, those who could breathe fire, called home. These hairless two-legged creatures used fire as well, which intrigued him considering how different the two species were. The two-leggers hoarded food away in large structures made from the wood of the forest, not eating it for a long while. They would sit and play with shining objects, or would play with each other with them. These shiny objects would make great clangs when colliding with each other, often with bright orange sparks shooting out. Sometimes, during such games, one of the two-leggers would fall down with bright red blood spurting from some wound. When he looked over at the shiny objects, he noticed they were covered in blood as well, and so associated them with pain and death. That was long ago when he first noticed such activity. He had stamped it firmly in his mind the dangers of such objects by the time he had begun to protect the dragons during raids.

Each two-legger, which he had learned were called humans, would plunge such objects into the fire breathers' bodies, and they would fall down dead. So, he began to use his camouflage abilities in their quest to serve the Queen. He protected the dragons while they went to get the food.

Now, he flew through the clouds, giving off a soft roar every so often, calling to the dragons below him. He called with his raw, yet beautiful roar. It was a call that stated, quite simply, _I am here, where are you?_ Often he received no reply. It didn't matter too much to him, anyway. He had been on a regular flight this night when he'd seen the raid going on.

_Cruel humans, you kill us for our services to our Queen,_ his eyes said as he glared down at the fresh carnage of the new fires. They were orange dots, glowing brightly against the small part of the island that was the human's main territory. Gray smoke billowed up as the fires burned.

With a flick of his tail, he was turning up and flying into the clouds. The mist momentarily stalled his vision, but he quickly caught his bearings again and peered down on the scene. He felt no ties to the Queen, but he would sooner be killed by the humans than glide passively by and not aid his dying brethren. And so, as he scanned the area, he was pleased to spot a tower that looked pleasantly flammable.

He tucked in his wings, flicked his tail to a new position, and he felt himself going into the stoop, which was one of his dives. He was high in the air, plummeting down with the speed of the bolts of lightning he so loved to dodge. He was gaining such speed that, and he really did love this part, the wind in his curved wings was beginning to whistle. The whistle could be heard from far away, and it alerted any creatures in the area to his presence, but by the time they heard it, it didn't matter. They would be unable to escape in time.

He felt the flame beginning in his throat, and just as he was about to plummet into the tower, he lifted his wings and let the white hot flame shoot from his jaws in a blazing fury. The tower was up in flames, and he let out a contented sigh as he glided back towards the clouds. His wings stretched out to his sides, taking in every wisp of air, every current that would lift him up higher, back into his home which was the sky. He let out a few joyous roars as the clouds were about to swallow him. Yes, he was home here, and no one could ever take that away from him.

Then it happened.

His wings were suddenly useless, tied to his sides as a coil of rope entangled his body in midair. His joyous roars turned to screams of terror as he felt himself losing altitude. He shot through the sky, momentarily catching a glimpse of a small human male sitting at the ground below. _He did this,_ he managed to form the thought.

Suddenly he was crashing through forest, narrowly missing fatal collisions with the trees. He crashed and began to skid over the ground, rubble flying all around him. A furious pain erupted in him, behind him. He felt something tearing, ripping from his body. He knew what that something was. His tail was tearing, and an even greater pain ripped through him. It was the pain of fear, of realization hitting him. Without his tail, he would never fly again, never go home to the skies.

_That boy has taken away the one thing I thought I'd always have._

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_But he gave it back to me,_ the dragon, now named Toothless, chanted in his mind after he woke up from the dream. Whether it was a nightmare or not, he didn't know. Yes, he had lost his ability to fly on his own, but he'd also gained something he'd never thought he'd have: a friend.

It was a well-known fact that many species of dragons were loners, never forming life-long bonds or socializing very well with others of their kind. Perhaps Toothless would have spent his life with other Night Fury dragons, if only there were others of his kind to be found. But, as he hadn't seen another one of his kind since he was a juvenile, he was forced to live life alone. He had never found this to be a burden before, and instead enjoyed the freedom it offered, but then the boy came.

He had done something very few wild creatures had done: he had befriended a human. No, more than that. The boy, Hiccup, had become such a part of him that it was like they were one. Their minds molded together, and they became an extension of each other. Apart, they were nothing. Together, they had the power to dive bomb to earth with enough power to create a blast of wind in their wake, or to simply glide peacefully through the clouds.

Toothless remembered the days when he could do those things by himself, and he sometimes longed for them. Then, peering at the boy who slept in the bed beside him, he remembered that one action that had sealed their bond.

_The Queen had chased them out of the sky, flames beginning to rip through her mouth from where Toothless had shot his plasma blast. Hiccup and Toothless managed to dodge the initial impact her body made with the earth, but then she exploded, and the two friends were left racing away from the flames. There was a problem, though, even greater than the current one. His new tail fin had been on fire, and as the bony tail of the Queen crashed into them, Hiccup fell from his back and back towards the flames, unconscious. Toothless let out a cry, and flapped harder as he fell into the inferno, desperate to catch up to his boy before the fire consumed them both._

_I would not let him die,_ Toothless said to himself now, both smiling and shuttering while remembering that day. _I could not let him leave me. I would rather die than let him leave. If Hiccup, went, then they would both go._

That's how a true friendship works. Both friends were willing to give up their lives if it meant the other could live.

_That's how love is._

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**(A/N) Okay, I have reached a decision. Originally, I was planning on this only being just that first one-shot, but now I think I'll keep this open for any time I decide to write one-shots for How to Train Your Dragon. Note, this may not be that often. I may just write them once every long while, or maybe it could be as often as twice a week. I have no idea, so don't hope for too much.**


	3. One Word

**(A/N) This was something that just entered my mind. I hope you enjoy it.**

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_**One Word**_

"No."

That one word, said so quietly, held the most power of anything the young man had ever said. It meant something, something real.

"Please, Gods bring him back," he silently prayed, his voice quivering with the reality of the situation dawning on him.

And so he sat there, in the wake of the battle, sitting beside his best friend. He would not leave him, despite what was going on in the background. Arrows shot past him, wedging themselves in nearby trees. Blasts of fire heated the air to the point where he could almost feel his skin blister. Screams cracked through the atmosphere, which combined with the roar of the fires to form one ear-splitting cacophony of noise. Amazingly, though, he didn't notice, nor would he care if he had noticed.

"I'm here," he whispered to the dragon. He rested a hand on his snout, stroking the fiery red scales soothingly. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

The dragon roared softly, trying to raise his head to nuzzle the boy, but was unable to lift his muzzle more than a few inches before collapsing back to the ground. The pain in the dragons eyes was clear, and the boy found himself on the brink of tears. Here was his dragon, fatally wounded, and still trying to comfort him.

"It's okay, boy. I know," he said. Never had such thoughts gone through him. Never had he been seized with such emotion as he did right now. "I love you, too."

And so the battle raged on around him, while the boy sat with his best friend, refusing to leave his side until the end came. It seemed as though, for just a moment, the war was not really happening. It all felt quiet to him, so quiet and peaceful. Everything seemed so right, if only for a few seconds, and he felt that that short span of time was something no one could ever steal from him. Like they stole his dragon, his best friend, from him. That moment ended, and the battle resumed, never having actually ended.

The blood continued to drain from the scarlet dragon's body for only a moment more. The boy and the dragon locked eyes for moment, then the light faded from the mighty creature's golden eyes. The boy ran his fingers over his friend's head, before closing the dragon's eyes. It was then that the boy let his tear come, and for the first time in his life, he was weeping.

He didn't care for once that it wasn't manly to cry. He didn't care that it was un-Viking-ish. He didn't care that it was girly. He was crying, and he didn't care.

"Goodbye, Hookfang," he whispered, before glancing at the arrow in the dragon's neck.

His anguished expression turned to one of pure outrage. He deftly pulled out the arrow, then glanced down at the thing in hatred. That arrow, that stupid piece of wood, killed his dragon.

He stopped himself. His dragon was dead. His best friend was gone.

Automatically, his fingers clenched over the arrow, and he was ready to just snap the thing in two. The sounds of the battle roared all around him. "Why'd they have to come here? Why'd they have to get those dragons and come here?" he seethed, watching all the Outcasts riding on the dragons around Berk. Alvin himself sat atop a Skrill, which was perched on top of the Great Hall.

Then something happened. Ideas were not generally his strong suit, but this was something new for him. He smiled wickedly down at the arrow, stopping himself from snapping it, and pulled his bow off his shoulder. With a clever hand, he notched the arrow into place, and began to run through the havoc of Berk's roads. Apparently, Oden was smiling down upon him, for the raining arrows all missed him, and the blasts of fire shot past his sprinting figure.

"Snotlout! Where's Hookfang?" he heard the voice of Astrid, high in the air on Stormfly, which he ignored.

"Snotlout, what are you doing?" cried Hiccup as he watched the young man running towards the Great Hall, right into the range of a dozen dragons and Alvin the Treacherous.

Snotlout didn't heed his friends calls. All he thought about was killing Alvin with the very instrument the Outcasts used to kill his best friend. He didn't care about anything else. He was blind to everything else. And that included the guards and their dragons that surrounded Alvin.

Snotlout glared up at Alvin the Treacherous, tears cutting thin trails through the ash and soot on his face. As he raised the bow and pulled back the bloody arrow, images flashed in his mind. Images of himself, riding his battle-ready dragon Hookfang into battle. Images of them both easily dodging balls of fire, spears, and arrows. Images of Savage, taking careful aim at him and Hookfang, before he even noticed. Images of them crash landing after the arrow pierced the Monstrous Nightmare's neck.

"I'll make you proud of me, Hookfang," he whispered, not caring that he was being surrounded by Outcasts on their dragons.

He let the arrow go.

But he never saw if it hit its target, for then, fire enveloped him. He was blinded from the white hot flames that scorched over him. Agony ripped through him, and he felt himself crying out with the pain of the burning.

Then the burning stopped, and he was on the ground. He could hear only his heart beating in his head. _Thump. Thump. Thump_. Then, slowly, the world came back to him, and he listened as voices came to him, and faces appeared.

"Snotlout!" that one was Hiccup. His stupid, wimpy cousin Hiccup.

"Oh, Thor," said Tuffnut, his partner in crime.

Then the others came. Beautiful Astrid, weirdo Fishlegs, and prankster Ruffnut. Their faces melted in slowly around him, and all of them were terrified for some reason. Then there was one more image that entered his mind.

Hookfang.

"Did I hit Alvin?" he asked, but all he heard was mumbling in reply. "Did I hit Alvin?" he asked again with more forced. "Did I hit him?"

Images flashed through him. Hookfang and him crashing to earth. Blood pooling over the ground. He realized blood was pooling around him now, as well, but he didn't know whose. It was warm and wet over him.

One last image manifested itself in Snotlout. He saw the light fading from his best friend's eyes. Then those eyes went cold, dark.

"Oh, Hookfang!" he cried out. He scarcely saw the people around him, and all he could hear was mumbling.

_Hookfang, I let you die,_ he thought.

Then something happened. He no longer cared about any of that. His vision was fading, and everything went black. He didn't hear anything else, nor could he feel anything more. The pain was gone, both emotional and physical. He felt himself slip into a peaceful sleep.

Light surrounded him, and he realized he was in some kind of hallway. It was purely white, and very, very bright. He realized he was crossing through some kind of gateway, the bars of the gate golden in color. As he crossed, he saw something up ahead, a scarlet dot in the bright white.

"Hookfang!" he called out, and the dragon scrambled over to his master, knocking him down to the ground. "Hookfang," Snotlout whispered, hugging his dragon forcefully.

The boy mounted the dragon, flying away over the white clouds and across golden waters.

As they flew, one word rang out through the boy's entire being.

"Yes."

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**(A/N) That was what I envision as the softer, deeper side of Snotlout. I never really think anyone can be just a jerk, and that was the inspiration for this little one-shot. I know it's sad, but it was also happy at the end. Did you like it?**


	4. One Smile

**(A/N) Okay, here's my newest one-shot. It's a bit longer than the others, but I'm sure no one will protest to that. Enjoy!**

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_**One Smile**_

His smile was marked in her mind, flashing brightly to bring on a wave of happiness and… confusion. Love, anger, sadness, joy. Anything and everything. What was it about his smile that made her stop and take a second look? Perhaps it was the way he could grin so widely, the way his eyes squinted a bit as he did so. Perhaps it was his slightly crooked front teeth. Perhaps it was the way he could smile so easily, with every situation, and so brightly that it would light up the room. That smile was constantly on her mind. It was the last thing she pictured before she fell asleep at night, and the first thing flashing in her head when she woke up in the morning.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Astrid," she whispered to herself, and she hiked onward through the dense woods of Berk.

Why was she putting so much stock in that smile of his, and the complex mess of feelings that it brought on? _Feelings_. Gods, what was happening to her? She didn't want to even think about that anymore. Sure, she had felt… something, when he had nearly died while fighting the Red Death. Sure, she had felt something every day since, but she couldn't take it anymore. He just seemed so clueless to it. He only spent time with her when they had their dragons with them, or when they had to do something for Chief Stoick. Besides that, they just didn't do anything with each other. She just couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take the waiting, or the watching, or the bombarding emotions that took a hold of her when she looked at that bright smile of his. The feelings alone would ware her out, and break her down soon enough.

"Even after I kissed him, he doesn't seem to get it. Maybe he doesn't want me to feel this way," she whispered to herself quietly.

She had never thought that anything like this could hurt her so much. Every time she saw Hiccup, it was like her heart was being ripped clean out, then put back. It was wonderful, yet awful.

"Stop thinking like that!" she exclaimed to herself, remembering why she was in the forest in the first place. "You're here to get away from that."

She was heading to the cove, where she hoped for a break from all these stupid thoughts and feelings. By Thor, she was a Viking! She couldn't let anything so stupid as a _boy_ distract her. If he didn't want to spend time with her, then she wouldn't let it bother her anymore.

The cove came into view, and she picked up the pace. The cove was surrounded by the tall pines that blocked it from unwanted viewers. The rays of sunlight shined through both the spindly and strong branches alike, breaking the rays up and creating a show of lights upon the ground and in the air. A few of these branches held the nests of singing birds, flittering around to find food for their new chicks. The air was oddly warm, even for one of the few warm months of the year. A line of sweat had already formed on Astrid's brow from the heat. Lifting her nose to the soft breeze, she smelled the cool water below, in the cove. Maybe she would go for a swim, if she felt like it. All she really wanted to do was relax.

"Relax, and forget about him," she whispered, climbing down the rocky edge of the cove, before leaping the last few feet to the ground and landing gracefully on her feet. She turned around, then froze.

She went rigid, and closed her eyes in anger. _Oh, you've got to be kidding me!_ Astrid thought. _Why? Why do the gods hate me?_

"Astrid? What're you doing here?" he asked, and she carefully opened her eyes. He stood there, slight confusion in his eyes. "Astrid?"

"Hey, Hiccup. I didn't know you were here," she said evenly, trying hard not to show her frustration.

"Where else would I be?" he asked in his easy, sarcastic manner. Her irritation grew as she realized she found his sarcasm endearing. He turned and pointed to the other side of the cove. "Toothless and I were just spending the afternoon here." Toothless looked up from where he lay curled up, yawned once, then settled back down.

_Yeah, you just have to take that dragon everywhere you go,_ she thought bitterly.

"I was just leaving," she said, turning around.

"Hey, what's your rush?" Hiccup asked, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her movement. "You just got here. Why don't you stay?"

"I really should be leaving," Astrid said, more strongly. "I have to go."

"Come on, Astrid. Stay here," Hiccup said, walking around to face her. "Please stay."

She looked hard at his smile. That same old smile that drove her crazy, even before she began to have feelings for him. That smile that would make you want to talk with him, be his friend. Before he did one of his stupid stunts, anyway.

"Okay," she said quietly, breaking away from his gaze and staring at the ground. _I have a feeling I'm going to regret this,_ she thought. "I'll stay."

His smile grew wider, and any resolve she had left in her melted away. Of course, she was still mad at him. He probably had no idea that she was upset at all, considering most guys never paid enough attention to realize when a girl is mad. He simply just walked back to where Toothless was, gesturing for her to follow. Astrid's feet fell in front of her without her consent, so she was now walking beside Hiccup.

"It's really hot out today," he said, looking up at the sky and shielding his eyes from the blazing sun. "Quite a rare occurrence here on Berk."

He looked back at Astrid, who was still staring at the ground, not turning to look at him as he spoke. Her eyes were somewhat distant, and a frown was growing on her face. She didn't want to look at him. She didn't want to be there at all anymore. She had come to the cove to get him out of her mind, and instead he was here to make her confused and angry. He took a step forward, getting in the way of her view of the dusty ground. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Astrid? What do you say we make the most of this heat?" he asked, and she looked up warily at him. "Let's go swimming."

She _had_ thought about going swimming, but not with him. She wanted to go swimming alone.

"I don't think so," she said, going to sit down beside the sleeping Toothless. The Night Fury didn't even lift his head or open an eyelid as she sat down beside him, leaning back against the smooth boulder. "I don't really feel like swimming."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," he prompted, pulling off his vest. He tossed that, and his green shirt in a pile in front of Toothless. Next, he pulled off his boot, then his prosthetic leg. She had to admit, he didn't look too bad without a shirt on… and she was once again mentally slapping herself across the face for that one.

"No thanks, I don't want to swim," she said again.

"It'll be fun. Besides, I don't bite," he said with a laugh, before hopping on his one leg towards the water.

She looked away, not wanting to give in to her feelings. She didn't see him jump in, but she heard the splash of water. She looked up again when he reappeared at the surface of the water a minute later, having swum to the middle of the cove.

"The water's great! You're really missing out!" he shouted over to her, splashing the water around him dramatically.

She glared at him.

"How about I show you how long I can hold my breath for underwater?" he called to her.

"Sure," she answered without much emotion.

"Okay, here I go!" he shouted. He took a deep breath, then dove under the surface.

She decided to watch the pond, since she had nothing else to occupy her mind. She glanced quickly at the sleeping Toothless. "You know, your rider can be quite a jerk sometimes. And he's completely clueless," she told him. The dragon didn't even stir. "What, you can't even look at me?" she whispered to the Night Fury. "That's fine, I'm getting used to being ignored."

The water didn't ripple. Hiccup was still under the surface, probably having dove to the very bottom. He was more competitive than she had at first thought, and this was probably a good challenge for himself. He wanted to win, even though there was no one her to compete against. No way for him to lose.

She looked at the water, waiting for him to resurface. She guessed he would be coming up for air any second, so she waited. And waited. And waited. She waited, growing evermore nervous. She waited, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. _He should have come back up by now,_ she thought.

"C'mon, Hiccup. Where are you?" she asked with much anxiety in her voice. "Come back for air, you idiot!"

Suddenly, something floated to the surface. A small piece of wood. She recognized it as his charcoal pencil, the one he always used to draw. And then she was tearing off her boots and flinging them to the side. She was running, and diving into the water.

The murky water was refreshingly cool, but Astrid couldn't care less. _Where is he? Where are you, Hiccup?_ She dove down, deep under the surface. Small bubbles, wiggling and shimmering, floated from the edges of her mouth to the surface. She moved easily through the water, searching wildly for him. _Where are you?_

She dove deep, scrabbling along the rocky bottom, before she realized her lungs were screaming for air. She felt the burning deep inside her, and her head felt oddly light. She needed air, now. Kicking hard, she swam upwards, up towards the light of the bright sky, shining down on the cove. She broke through the surface, gasping for air, flinging her head from side to side and searching below her. There was nothing below her, nothing that she could see anyway.

All of a sudden, water was splashed at her, hitting her head almost softly. She froze, then turned slowly around in the water. Hiccup was there, swimming calmly towards her. Well, almost calmly. He was smiling widely, and laughter all of a sudden filled the air. Loud and uncontrolled laughter, and he was gasping for air between fits of laughing.

"What was that!?" Astrid found herself screaming at him, swimming to meet him at the center of the cove. "If you think that was funny, you're wrong!"

He couldn't speak, he was laughing so hard.

"I thought you drowned!" Astrid yelled. "Why are you laughing at that?"

"Be-because I got you to get in the water. I got you to stop all that," he said, grinning.

"All what?" she asked, now interested.

"I got you to stop glaring at the ground. At least you're looking at me now," he said, then softened his voice a bit more. "Are you feeling any better?"

Her scowl dropped, and her mouth fell open in shock. She looked at him with awe.

"You noticed that I was upset?" she asked. "You actually noticed?"

He gave her a soft gaze, smiling kindly. "Of course I did. How could I not?" he responded. "After all, I know you that well."

"Yeah right, we never do anything together unless we're with the dragons," Astrid said, her frown returning.

"What's wrong with that? It's something we have in common. We both love dragons. They're our friends, so why not have them along?" he asked. "I seem to remember you loving that first flight on Toothless with me. And every flight since." He looked at her with concern. "Astrid, be honest with me. Are you feeling any better?"

She couldn't help it. A smile grew on her face. "Actually, I am feeling better. Thanks, Hiccup." She suddenly threw a punch at him, hitting him in the shoulder. He faltered, slipping below the surface and spluttering out water as he came back up.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked angrily, rubbing his arm and wincing.

"That was for scaring me," she responded in an offhand manner.

She looked at him longingly. He saw her looking at him, and stopped rubbing his arm. He looked at her with the same soft gaze. Then a second later, he lunged through the water at her, placing his lips gingerly on hers. She tensed in surprise for a moment, before gently kissing him back.

"And that," he began once they had pulled apart, "is for everything else."

Neither of them noticed the blush that had crept upon their faces. They just smiled at each other for a long time. Astrid no longer held that confusion and anger in her. At that moment, she was all that was on his mind, and he on hers. She was happy with knowing that he had seen the feelings inside her, and had done what was in his power to cheer her up. He had paid attention.

Now, when he flashed that bright smile of his, only one feeling came with it: _joy._

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**(A/N) A bit of a fluff piece for all those Hiccup/ Astrid lovers out there (which includes me!). I hope you enjoyed it. I know it's a bit cliche, so I hope that didn't turn you off... Well, anyways, REVIEW TIME!**


	5. The Question

**(A/N) Yes! First day of spring break, and I finally had time to finish writing this! It's been in my mind for a couple weeks, and I started writing it a week ago, but found it was hard to write. I don't know why I had so much trouble writing it. I mean, I've been able to write this kind of stuff very easily with my fanfictions. Well, anyways, here it is. I hope you like it!**

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_**The Question**_

I couldn't understand him. I just couldn't understand what went through his head anymore. He and I, we used to be so in tune to each other's thoughts, to the point where we sometimes finished each other's sentences. We ran the Dragon Academy so well together, and at that point we were basically running the island. Along with Stoick, of course, but it was like we were the ones keeping Berk going. By training the dragons, we were the ones providing any and all protection to the people, and we solved most of the more major problems, such as any invading armies and attacks. Yes, we did all that together, him and I. Now, I can't even understand what's going on in his mind. Almost four years have passed since Hiccup defeated that Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, commonly known as the Red Death. But, lately, he's been so… distant.

I was afraid it had something to do with me. Had I done something to make him mad? And if I had, what? With that raging through my mind, I couldn't help but think back to when we'd first become real friends. I was surprised that Hiccup had even bothered to speak to me, after all those years of shutting him out. I was cruel to him just like the others, so I couldn't believe he'd even want to look at me. Perhaps the same thing was going through his mind at the moment, and that was why he was acting so strange.

"What do you think, Stormfly?" I asked as I brought in to my Nadder the wicker basket, filled with smoked salmon and fresh chicken. The Nadder stuck her head in the slimy pile of food that I poured out onto the floor of her little stable, gulping it down while I wrinkled my nose up at the stench of it. "I mean, why has he been so strange lately? Every time I'm around him, he gets all tense and makes some excuse to leave. He doesn't have much time for the Academy anymore, since he's spending so much time in that forge. He hasn't even talked to me for weeks!"

Stormfly looked up at me, cocking her head slightly and looking at me with golden eyes.

"Oh great, I'm venting my frustrations to my dragon, and you can't even pay attention," I said, not angry but with mock frustration. I stroked her head as she kept on eating. "Are you almost done? How about we go for a ride?"

At this, Stormfly swallowed the last bit of food in a hurry and stood up straight in excitement. Her eyes glinted with enthusiasm. The blue Nadder gave a high pitched screech, adding to the display of happiness. I didn't wait for her scoop me up with her jaws, but instead immediately jumped on her back. The air whizzed by me as she ran out the stable and launched into the air. There was that same amazing rush of the wind in my face, of the sun seeming to grow brighter as it cast its golden rays of sunset over me. Over that warm sunlight was the cool breeze that grew more and more refreshing as the two of us climbed higher into the sky.

Stormfly let out a light squeal of joy as we began to soar over the dark green forests. The village behind us grew smaller, while the forest below us stretched farther. In every direction beyond the forest, the dark blue of the sea loomed farther than could be seen. So we just stayed over the forest, taking in the sights and enjoying the fine quiet.

"Summer on Berk is the best summer there is," I found myself whispering to Stormfly. Indeed, it seemed as though nature was making up for our killer winters with an amazing summer. It wasn't too hot or at all cold, and this was when everyone felt happy. Today was no exception. The sun, just beginning its journey below the horizon, shown down on a world of beauty. In the field, wildflowers were in full bloom. The calves and lambs born earlier in the year were running and sparring in play, and the same went for the wild animals. The young dragons that hatched during Snoggletog were just getting big enough to be ridden. The people were happy with the abundance of fish in the ocean and fruit on land, and times were good.

"Best time of the year, huh girl?" I asked Stormfly. She gave a shrill screech in reply, then turned her head back to the sky. I sat back, listening the whispers of the wind and songs of the birds, completely relaxed. Then a new sound came to my ears. It was an echoing roar that came in slow and became loud enough to be heard for a mile in any direction. It was familiar, too. "What's that?" I asked my dragon, but found that she wasn't paying attention. The Nadder stretched and turned her head, attempting to pinpoint where the sound came from.

Stormfly's eyes widened suddenly. Before I could say a word or even wonder what she was doing, the dragon folded in her wings and we were suddenly shooting down towards the forest, where another roar was beginning.

"Stormfly!" I cried out, gripping the saddle tightly so as not to fall off. "What are you doing?!"

The trees were then rushing in at us. The cracking of branches rang in my ears as we crashed through the foliage, and I closed my eyes when I saw we were heading fast towards the ground. It was a miracle I didn't get hit by any of those branches by the time Stormfly touched down. I opened my eyes to see Stormfly looking back at me with innocent eyes. I glared back at her.

"Well, looks like you had a rough landing," came a blatantly familiar voice. I found myself leaping from Stormfly's back, only to see him standing there. Hiccup's laughter rose up, and beside him the coal-black Night Fury, Toothless, let out one of his signature rumbling laughs. "Great job, bud," Hiccup said, petting his dragon on the head. "You did a great job calling them down."

"Hiccup, you have a bit of explaining to do," I said in confusion. "What are you doing here, and why did you call Stormfly down here?"

A grin spread across his face, before he stepped to the side. I looked at him with confusion, then my eyes fell upon what he had revealed. A blanket was spread across the ground, and on it was a wicker basket filled with food. Around the blanket were candles, and beside the wicker basket was a handful of the bright wildflowers that had been blooming in the fields. And behind all this was the entrance to the cove. We were on one of the rocky ledges right beside the cove.

"What's all this?" I asked, looking at Hiccup. He knew neither of us really cared too much for all that romantic stuff, but this seemed different. This seemed special.

Hiccup looked back with shy and nervous eyes, a trait he had never lost despite his growing reputation as a great future leader. His smile was that same one he'd always reserved for me. Genuine, kind, and gentle. "I thought we could use a picnic. And what better time for that than during one of our famous summer sunsets?"

I approached him, folding my arms and giving him one of my _what are you up to?_ stares. "So, this is just a spur of the moment picnic?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he said, taking my hand in his.

I looked up at him, seeing those pure green eyes that glowed in the fleeting light. I had to look up to do this, for he had surpassed me in height years ago. He didn't tower above me, but he was a good height. He had changed quite a bit in his appearance over the years. He was still the skinniest man on the island, but years of riding dragons and working in the forge had finally taken away that look of being scrawny. He had broader shoulders and didn't look like he was half starved anymore. His hair was the same shaggy length, but he now sported a short mustache and beard that he kept well-trimmed. He had changed in appearance, but he was still that same awkward, good-hearted man that I always knew he was. And so, when he took my hand, I fallowed him towards the blanket easily. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the two dragons exchanging knowing glances as they jumped down into the cove.

We sat down beside each other, and Hiccup began to look through the wicker basket. He pulled out a few bowls, a few plates, a few jugs, and each contained new and delightful scents. I knew that Hiccup was a great cook, but this seemed extravagant even for him. There were a couple pieces of roasted chicken, some smoked salmon, and plenty of mutton. Then there was bread, still warm, and butter. In one bowl was a side of stew. Then, after he took all of that out, I smelled something new. The scent warmed my insides, and unconsciously a smile formed on my face. Hiccup pulled out the wild plum pie, along with a bowl of raspberries and walnuts.

"My favorite," I said, looking at him with my smile still printed plainly across my face. "You really didn't leave anything out, did you?"

"Leave nothing to chance, that's what my father always says," Hiccup said with a laugh. He looked at me, and saw that I was eyeing the pie. "I also happen to know that you eat dessert first, on certain occasions." He handed me a spoon. "Let's eat."

I didn't wait. When he put the piece of pie on my plate, I shoved a large bite into my mouth. The fruity plums, still warm from baking, squeezed out warm juices. A mountain of flavors exploded in my mouth, and I relished in the taste of the pie. After swallowing, I looked to Hiccup. He was steadily chewing his pie, looking out across the cove. He had that same tense look that he'd adopted whenever we were together. His face had paled, and as he swallowed his mouthful, it seemed almost forced. Anxiety filled him, and I could tell.

"Hiccup? Is there anything wrong?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. I was nervous again, wondering if he was mad at me for something. He didn't respond for a moment, then looked at me with a new, unnatural smile.

"I'm fine. How do you like your pie?" he asked, his voice in a strange new tone.

"It's delicious, but…" I began, but my voice trailed off as I wasn't sure whether I could finish my thought. I was worried. About him, about myself, about us, I wasn't sure. Probably all three.

"What is it?" he prompted.

"Oh, I don't know. You've acted kind of weird lately," I said, then noticed how he had on a confused expression. "I mean, you've been a bit distant. It's like you're almost uncomfortable when you're with me."

"Oh, come on Astrid," he said, taking my hand. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable around you. We've come a long way since we were kids. You know that."

I pulled my hand away. "Yeah, that's saying something. You used to be the target for all of our cruelty, including mine," I said, looking down.

"Astrid, what are you-" he began, but I cut him off.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you ever looked at any of us with anything but hatred. I ignored you for fourteen years, Hiccup," I said, looking him in the eyes. "Why would you even like a person like that?"

"Now Astrid, hold on a minute," he said, grasping my hand in both of his. His eyes had taken on a stronger look. When he spoke, it was a pure sound that struck me with surprise. "Have I ever given you any trouble for that? I've always known you were sorry for that, and I forgave you a long time ago."

"I know, but-" I said, but it was his turn to interrupt.

"Have I ever even mentioned those times? Have you ever had any reason to think that I was angry with you?" he asked.

I looked at him, but didn't respond.

"I love you, Astrid. I love you more than anything, or anyone, in the world," he said, his voice growing softer. "I love you, Astrid."

My eyes widened. My mouth opened to say something back, but no sound came out. What could I say to that? Of course, I loved him, too. But what could I say to him to make him know how much?

Hiccup took on a new expression. It was still one of nervousness, but it now held a kind of readiness.

"I love you, and I never want us to be apart. I want you to live with me. I want to go to sleep every night with you beside me. I want the first thing I see in the morning to be you," he said, shifting his position. He was now on one knee, still holding onto to my hand tightly.

"Oh my gods," I whispered.

"I want to love you forever. I want us to live together, and see every sunrise and sunset together. I want to grow old with you. I want today to be the beginning of forever for us."

"Oh my gods," I said again.

He was reaching a hand into his pants pocket, and when he took it out something was cupped in his fist. He opened his hand to reveal a small golden ring, shining in the fading crimson light.

"Astrid, will you marry me?" The question came out strong, his voice not wavering at all.

Now I knew what I could say to him to let him know how much I loved him. My voice was quiet, but sure.

"Yes."

It was completely silent for a moment, before both of our faces spread in wide smiles. He and I stood up, looking each other in the eyes. He grasped me in his arms, and I held tightly back, closing my eyes to take in the moment. We spun around in each other's arms, laughing with unabashed joy. I opened my eyes and looked at him, and we fell into a long kiss.

When we let go of each other, he slipped the ring onto my finger. With that, it really began our forever together. Our heads tilted up to the sky, where the last golden rays of light were fading, and the first stars were appearing in the purpling sky. All the stars, big and small, twinkled and gleamed up in that great sky. On my hand, the shining ring twinkled with the same ferocity.

Our first sunset, and we knew there would be many, many more. And it all started with that one question.

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**(A/N) Awww! I was surprised that there were so few one-shots on how Hiccup proposes to Astrid. You'd think that would be a more popular one. Oh well, here you go. Did you like it? Please review!**


	6. The Name

**(A/N) This is my latest installment in my Hicstrid series. If any of you are unsure, the ones that are Hicstrid based are all related, and it's a series of Hiccup and Astrid going through their lives together. In this particular one, Hiccup and Astrid have been married for one year, and are nineteen.**

**This is a longer one-shot, so that should be one thing you guys are happy about. I didn't originally plan on it being so much longer than the others, but I didn't want everything to be jam packed.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon, but I do own these stories and the new character(s) I will be introducing.**

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The Name

She looked on at the man sitting beside her on the bed, love filling her gaze. He returned the same longing stare without question. They had left behind their need to hide their feelings for each other long ago. Now, they could revel in each other's eyes forever, or even longer. It had been nearly a year since Hiccup and Astrid had married, and in that time, their love for each other had only grown. Other things had grown, as well, though. Like, perhaps Astrid's stomach for instance.

Astrid grasped her husband's hand, bringing it to her bulging abdomen as what rested beneath seemed to grow more energetic. Hiccup smiled, feeling the strong kicks against his wife's stomach.

"It won't be long now, will it?" he asked, smiling with the brightness of the sun at the woman beside him, showing those same old crooked front teeth. There were some things that Astrid never got tired of seeing, and those charmingly crooked teeth of Hiccup's were part of that list.

"Not long at all, Hiccup. He's getting pretty restless," Astrid replied, looking down at her rotund middle.

"Why do you say 'he,' Astrid? We don't know if the baby's going to be a boy," Hiccup asked.

"Because I can't stand calling our baby an 'it,'" Astrid replied, shuddering at the thought. "Like we were talking about livestock… or a rock."

Below Hiccup's hand, another strong kick resounded. "A rock with a killer kick. I bet he'll be great at bashyball."

"See, you just called the baby 'he,' Hiccup," Astrid said, laughing. "You know, we still have to come up with names."

"Well, if it's a girl, we already agreed on Valhallarama, after my mother," Hiccup responded, taking his hand away from Astrid's abdomen to scratch his head in thought. "But if it's a boy… I don't know. I don't want it to be one of those flashy, arrogant, or hideous names. And nothing too common, like Sven or Magnus."

"We could name him after your father, maybe," Astrid thought. "Or, maybe after one of the men in the village."

Hiccup shook his head, getting up from where the two sat on the bed and beginning to pace around their room. They had moved into the house just beside the home of the chieftain after they'd gotten married last year, which was also Hiccup's old home. They would move back into the house when Hiccup became the chief, which was likely to happen soon. Chief Stoick wasn't in his finest health, and would probably retire some time in the near future. Hiccup thought about naming his son Stoick, but thought better of it. He wanted the child's name to be something original, something all his own, something that would fit him. However, Hiccup just paced faster as he searched his mind for something. What kind of a name would fit his child if he were to have a son?

"Hiccup," he heard Astrid say, breaking him from his concentration. "Why don't we talk about the name later?"

"We can't really afford to wait," Hiccup replied, running his hand over his short beard as he thought. "I mean, the baby is due to come any time now."

A moment's pause, and both of them looked up as the reality of it all seemed to sink in a bit further. "Gods, we're going to be parents," Astrid said. For the first time in years, a look of real fear crossed Astrid's face. "That's a pretty scary thought."

Hiccup sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. "I know, but that's how everyone feels when it's their first child. You are going to be a great mother," he said, lightly kissing her on the forehead. The two smiled at each other. "And the healers said the pregnancy was going well, and that the baby was healthy. You have nothing to worry about."

"I do have something to worry about, if Ruffnut's going to be one of the midwives…" Astrid said. "Can you believe she decided to become a healer?"

"What I can't believe is that she's actually good at it," Hiccup said, laughing. "Looks like she has a brain after all!"

Both of them laughed wholeheartedly. It was a sound that filled the silence of that morning. They smiled in each other's gazes, feeling the joy that flowed from one another. Then, with a stretch, Hiccup lifted himself from the bed and began to walk around the room.

"Well, it's time to get ready for the morning," Hiccup said, beginning to rummage through the drawers and pulling on his day clothes. "We can come up with some names later today, after work. After all, we still have a few more days to think about it and decide, right?" Astrid didn't respond, and Hiccup heard her breath hitch. "Astrid?"

He turned to see her clutching her middle and closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them again and putting on a smile. "Um, maybe we don't have that long to think about it, Hiccup," she said, her voice a bit strained.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes widening. "W-what do you mean?"

"I think you better go get the healers," she said, her smile widening.

"It's time?" he asked. She looked at him, nodding slowly. "I'll be right back!"

He began to run towards the door, his expression half-way between extreme anxiety and over-the-top joy. "Hiccup?" Astrid called after him, stopping him at the door to the room. He looked back at the woman on the bed, and saw she was smiling brightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, then tore down the stairs and out the door.

The village was quiet, as it was early morning, so he made quite a spectacle as he ran through the town, tripping over logs with his prosthetic leg, or slipping in the puddles from the night's rains. He ran faster than he ever had before, finally making it to the house where two of the healers lived, and knocking hard on the door.

A middle-aged woman answered the door, widening her eyes at the manic look on Hiccup's face, before putting on one of those signature serious expressions of the healers. "Get Ruffnut, and we'll get the other healers," she said. And then she disappeared back inside the cottage.

Hiccup ran straight to the Thorston home, which was coincidentally just a few houses down, and knocked hard on the door there as well. Tuffnut opened the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What? It's too early to be awake!" Tuff exclaimed groggily.

"I need Ruffnut," Hiccup said, catching Tuff's attention. "It's Astrid."

"Don't worry, I heard you crashing through the village," Ruff said, appearing at the doorway. "Let's get going."

"I'm coming, too!" Tuff said, following them.

Snotlout and Fishlegs, whom happened to be out and about in the village as well, joined the group as they ran through the village. The healers caught up, all four of them and the old midwife as well, and together they reached the top of the village. Letting them go ahead, Hiccup stopped at his old house to get his father. Not even bothering to knock, he simply ran right in. Stoick, as always, was doing his morning woodwork. He looked up from the wooden Night Fury he was carving, only to see his son standing there with his mouth open but no words coming out.

"I suppose you're here to tell me I'm about to become a grandfather," he said, standing up slowly. He gave a burly groan as he got up, then let out a hardy laugh. "It's about time. I thought that child of yours would never make his grand entrance."

* * *

Hiccup paced, just as he had done for hours. He paced back and forth in the first floor of his home, waiting to hear a baby's cries from upstairs. He could hardly keep his mind on anything. He was just waiting, and waiting, and waiting… and waiting. He kept on pacing. That was all he could do. He paced and paced, never taking a break. He hadn't eaten a thing all day, but he didn't notice the growls of his stomach. All he could pay attention to was the screams he kept hearing from upstairs.

He shuddered every time a scream was heard, loud and shrill, piercing the otherwise quiet atmosphere. Hiccup thought that childbirth must be really painful, if even one of the toughest of Vikings like Astrid was screaming in the agony of it. Agony. Oh gods, he didn't want to think about what his wife was going through up there. Between screams, he heard the healers yell encouraging words. They'd been doing that for several hours, and still it seemed there was no progress.

"Why is it taking so long?" asked Hiccup nervously, not turning to the people behind him. Tuff, Snotlout, and Fishlegs were all there. Stoick, Gobber, Mulch, and Bucket were also sitting on the chairs there. All were waiting for the birth of the future chieftain of Berk. "Why is it taking so long?" Hiccup repeated himself.

"These things take awhile, son," Stoick said, getting up and putting a burly hand on the young man's shoulder, stopping him in place. Hiccup looked up at his father's face, calm and strong as always. Hiccup's face was sick with worry, and beads of sweat penetrated his brow. "Don't worry, it'll all be okay."

"How do you know?" Hiccup asked, just as another scream rang out upstairs. Hiccup felt helpless as he heard his wife's cries.

"Hiccup, do you know how long your mother was in labor with you?" Stoick asked. Hiccup didn't respond. "A day and a half almost. And both you and her turned out fine. Astrid will be okay, son."

"Gods, I hope so," Hiccup responded as one scream reached it's peak, then suddenly stopped.

A few minutes passed, and then slowly, very slowly, the upstairs door creaked open. A soft gurgling cry lifted to Hiccup's ears, and suddenly the world around him didn't matter. One step at a time, Ruffnut descended the staircase, a bundle wrapped in a blanket filling her arms. And out of this bundle, Hiccup spotted a tiny face. The face was pink in color, and this was the source of the gurgles and cries. A smile appeared on the young man's face, and the world around him slowed. It was just him, and the bundle in Ruffnut's arms. Hiccup found himself walking slowly towards Ruff, who had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, the old midwife behind her. The others followed behind Hiccup, remaining a couple steps behind.

"My child," Hiccup whispered. "My child."

"Hiccup-" Gobber behind him began in a strangely subdued tone of voice, but Hiccup cut him off.

"Is it a boy, or a girl?" he asked, never taking his eyes from the baby. The child's eyes were closed, and a few strands of fine dark hair poked out from the blanket. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A b-boy," Ruffnut said, still holding the child. "B-but-"

"Oh, a son!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Astrid and I have a son! How is she?"

There was no reply, only silence. Hiccup finally lifted his eyes from his son, up to Ruffnut's face. Her expression was stricken, and she was attempting to make a sound escape her throat. Hiccup had never seen Ruff cry, but now the young woman's eyes were overly bright, on the verge of tears.

"Astrid? How's Astrid?" Hiccup asked again, fear creeping into his voice. "How is Astrid?" he practically screamed.

"The healers are doing everything they can, Hiccup," Ruffnut got out. "But she's bleeding a lot."

Hiccup looked from Ruffnut to the old healer, but both of their faces were solemn. He looked around to those standing behind him, only to see their shocked expressions as well. He looked hard at each of them, then locked eyes with his father. Stoick opened his mouth to say something, but no words came.

Hiccup found himself shaking his head, slowly at first, then furiously. "No. No, no, no," he said. "No!" he screamed, lunging towards the stairs, only to be held back by the men around him. He wasn't the village runt anymore, and had actually grown to be pretty strong, so the men behind him had to fight hard to keep their grip on him.

"No!" Hiccup screamed, digging his nails into the floorboards in an effort to get up the stairs. He had to be with her. He had to be with his wife! He pulled and tugged at them all, screaming. "Astrid!" he cried. "Astrid!"

He dug his nails into the wood to the point where his hands actually started to bleed. Beside him, the baby began to wail loudly. Hiccup tugged and screamed. "Astrid!"

"Hiccup, stop," he heard one person, Fishlegs he thought, say. He paid no mind to him.

"No! No! Astrid!" he screamed.

Finally, the men got their firmest grips on him and threw him backwards to the ground. "You have to let the healers help her!" shouted Gobber. "You can't do anything."

"Oh my gods," Hiccup said quietly, getting to his feet.

He was about to try again to run up the stairs, but stopped himself. He looked about him, at everyone's stricken faces, then at the staircase. "Oh, gods," he whispered. "Astrid."

Without a second glance, he ran outside, into the dead of night, where no one stirred in the village. He ran up to the side of his house, to the crest of the hill. Toothless, poking his head from the stable set up beside the house, gave one of his soft roars that seemed to ask, What's wrong?

Hiccup paid no heed to his dragon, and instead ran up to the tip of the hill. He looked up at the clear skies, staring at the bright stars that shined in their summer positions. A streak of white light flashed across the sky. It was a shooting star.

"My wish… I wish that Astrid will be okay," he whispered as Toothless crept up beside him. Tears ran down the young man's face. "Please, let her live."

But the streak of light had disappeared, and Hiccup crumpled to the ground on his knees. He buried his head in his hands, sobbing. She had to live. She just had to.

"Oh, gods. Gods, please let her live," he whispered through his tears. "I love her so much."

His sobs were the only sound within the village. He was left to himself, to his tears. It seemed he was the only person in the whole world, like he was all alone, until…

"If you love her, then you'll show courage," came a raggedy old voice. Hiccup turned around slowly, trying to straighten himself while he was still on his knees, but it was hopeless. He felt hopeless.

"What?" he heard his voice say.

The old midwife walked up beside him, reaching up to lay a hand on Toothless's head, stopping, then resting the wrinkled hand there. Toothless leaned into the old woman, not purring though. "If you love Astrid, you'll show courage," the woman said with more vigor.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Be strong, Hiccup," she said.

Beside them, Toothless let out a plasma blast. The white ball of fire soared up into the sky in a long arch, finally bursting high into the black sky and lighting it up. A moment later, Toothless gave a long, strong roar. The roar echoed over the forests and mountain.

"Yes, like your dragon has shown, let your courage give you light," the old midwife said, smiling sadly. "Let it echo, and let it light, so it doesn't die, but becomes stronger. That way, it'll build you up, and keep you going."

That was it. She said no more, for her message was over. The footsteps of the old healer quietly reached Hiccup's ears. Looking on at the sky for a moment longer, Hiccup picked himself up and followed behind the midwife.

* * *

He held his son in his arms, feeling the warm heart beating steady and strong. He was perfect. Hiccup had never seen such a perfect child in all his life. He didn't quite know what made his child perfect, but that he was. He had spent the entire time sleeping, not opening his eyes once. It hadn't been very long since Hiccup had come back inside, and he had immediately wanted to hold his son. There was no news on Astrid yet, so he just held onto the baby. He had to hold onto something, or else he might fall apart. His tears had already begun to drip on the baby, and Hiccup continually had to wipe them away. Now, he was done crying. The midwife was right. He had to be strong. He had to be courageous.

Quietly, the upstairs door opened, and one of the healers stepped down slowly, descending the stairs one at a time. Hiccup sat firm in the chair, holding his breath and praying hard. The time it took for the healer to reach the last step seemed to be the longest wait of Hiccup's life. When he looked at the healer's face, asking her the dreaded question he was unable to say, her face broke into a smile.

"You can go see her now, Hiccup," she said. "She's going to be fine."

Hiccup didn't smile outwardly. He breathed in hard, finally letting himself relax for a moment. Holding his son in his arms, Hiccup rose and ascended the stairs. When he pushed open the door, he was greeted with the weakest of smiles. It was the most amazing sight he'd ever seen, and he let that sudden turmoil that had ripped through him before flow out of him. It was just him, and her, and their child. Carrying the baby towards her, he sat down on the side of the bed.

She looked so tired, something strikingly different from her usual self. However, she still had that fiery spirit in her sharp blue eyes, something that Hiccup thought would never leave her. She looked to him, then at the bundle in his arms.

"Hi Astrid," he whispered, smiling down at his wife. "Would you like to see baby Haddock?"

She smiled as he laid the infant on her chest, helping her to cradle the child in her arms. He held one hand on the bundle to steady the baby while Astrid looked down at him. "He's perfect," she told him.

"Astrid, we have a son," Hiccup said, his smile so wide he couldn't stand it. His happiness was brimming. How could he have asked for any more? His wife was alive and they had a child now. He felt so blessed. "Everything feels so right."

"We have a son," Astrid repeated, holding the baby closer to her. She looked up at Hiccup. "We have a son."

As Astrid said this, so full of wonder and love, the eyes of the sleeping infant opened for the first time. The man and woman saw the sharp blue eyes, just like Astrid's, staring back at them. The child's eyes held confusion upon seeing this strange world for the first time, so different from his previous home.

Blue eyes like Astrid's, and dark auburn hair like Hiccup's. Hiccup and Astrid looked on at their child, taking this all in. If for only a moment, they no longer felt that fear they'd held earlier in anticipation of becoming parents. It was just them. One man. One woman. One child. One family.

* * *

The parents decided on the name Aaron, because of what the old midwife told Hiccup that dark night with the bright stars. Hiccup and Astrid firmly hoped that Aaron would live up to his name, which meant "the light-bringer." What they didn't know was that, one day, Aaron would come to be known as Aaron the Courageous. Astrid and Hiccup had other children, but there was something different about Aaron. He was the one who used his courage to bring the hours of deepest darkness into the light.

But that's another story…

* * *

**(A/N) Aaron is the new character in my series of one-shots. I may or may not do a fanfiction based on him and this one-shot in the future, but I don't know. Actually, I could write an entire fanfiction on any of my one-shots, but that's too much writing for any one person. I hope you all enjoyed this one. It was one of my favorites to write so far, but I think my favorite one was One Word.**

**I plan on doing a few more one-shots with Hicstrid, but let me know what you thought of this one. Was it too corny? Or was it awesome? Was it horrible? Did you not care? Let me know!**


	7. His Change

**(A/N) Now here's a break from the whole Hiccup/ Astrid business. This next one is all about our favorite male Viking twin, Tuffnut!**

**By the way, many of my one-shots here foreshadow the events in my other stories. I hope to finish writing them soon so I can post them. But for now, please enjoy another one of my romantical one-shots.**

**Disclaimer: I own many things. A cat that prefers yogurt to mice. A dog that growls every time you touch her. A collection of random objects I will likely never use. I own the OCs in these stories, but I sadly do not own How to Train Your Dragon. However, you have been forewarned that there is the possibility I will one day own it. Be prepared. (Lion King moment!)**

* * *

_**His Change**_

He just needed time to himself. That's what he kept saying to justify his actions. That's what Tuffnut wanted to believe, but deep in his heart, he knew he was just trying to fool himself. And he was failing, too. There was no freaking way he could psyche himself out of what he'd gotten himself into. He also hoped the darkness of the outside would mask the emotions on his face. Yes, they were emotions. He was a Viking, tested in battle as a warrior, and he still had feelings. However, it was simple anger and pain that showed clear on his face in the early morning moonlight. Why he let himself feel that way, he couldn't fathom. Of course, it was out of his control by that point. He had long before walked into a perfectly set trap of fate, and when that trap sprung, he'd started something completely new. Now, though, he wishes he'd never let himself get into it all.

Why she'd come back, well, that was just one more mystery, although it wasn't really a mystery at all. Heather had left them all long ago. Of course, she'd kept up to date with them by way of letters, brought to the island of Berk by a few select Terrible Terrors, specially trained for the task of being letter carriers. In the letters, it said she'd followed Berk's example, and introduced dragons to the village she and her parents had gone back to… although the village wasn't too keen on the idea of the giant reptiles at first. Heather, while not so skilled a trainer as Hiccup, was quick to learn and eventually the island she lived on was using dragons as a part of everyday life. She herself adopted a young purple Nadder, giving her the name Viola.

Life on her island was good, as far as the letters said. They received the mail regularly for years, until about a year ago, when everyone in the group was eighteen. Then there came a period of time when there were no letters, until one day, Heather and Viola showed up on Berk, with Heather close to tears. She had come to escape her engagement to the village's future chief. It had been an arranged marriage. And so, Heather became a part of Berk. She lived in a previously vacant home, and worked hard in the Dragon Academy.

During this entire time, Tuffnut had been giving her those sideways glances, the meaning of which were clear: he liked what he saw. He'd always thought she was the prettiest Viking woman he'd ever seen, so how could he not like her? She'd always shrugged off these glances, hardly bothering to acknowledge them. He was used to be ignored in this way, so he didn't really care too much. Then came the day that Heather crossed glances with him while he was staring at her again. Instead of averting her gaze and ignoring him like normal, she held eye contact with them. It was an accident, he could tell. Heather herself had been caught off guard for not looking away from Tuffnut. Tuffnut lost that flirtatious grin, and instead had the same awestruck look that was now on Heather's face. They just looked at each other for a moment, and neither noticed what's going on around them.

It only lasted a few seconds, but those few seconds were enough. That time, it was Tuffnut who averted his gaze from her, and then she followed in turn. It was then that Tuffnut promised he would never look at Heather as just a pretty face ever again. It was then that he became determined to find out more about her. It was the next week that he worked up the courage to ask her to go flying with him. That romantic flight on Barf and Belch was what started their relationship.

They'd been dating for a year now, and it was now that Tuffnut was beginning to realize how much it all meant to him. However, it was what had happened today that really solidified his feelings for her…

* * *

_"Are you sure you should be coming?" Tuffnut asked as the members of the village prepared for departure._

_Heather turned to him then, the expression on her face one of shock. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm going with the fleet." She eyed him carefully. "And you know that I'm fully capable in the midst of a battle."_

_"I know, it's just…" Tuffnut didn't quite know how to finish his thought._

_Off in the corner by the Great Hall, a couple of his friends gave him sympathetic looks. Hiccup had been going through this same thing with Astrid for years, but today was not one of those days. Astrid would be staying home, since she was pregnant with the new couple's first child. Astrid wasn't exactly happy with Hiccup coming though. Snotlout's wife, Beth, was staying behind as well, since she had to care for their new baby, Spitelout II. Fishlegs had left years ago, along with a friend of theirs named Klara, to go start a new village on another island. Ruffnut was right beside Tuffnut, on the head of Barf. She exchanged glances with her fiancé, Loki, on his Changewing just a few feet away. They all understood how Tuff was feeling as he locked eyes with Heather. Now they were going off into battle against an army with hundreds of dragons at their disposal._

_"It's just…" he repeated, still unable to finish the thought. "You know what."_

_"Yeah, I do," she said. "I'm sorry but I'm still going. You know it's a thing we have to do, that we want to do. At least we can watch each other's backs…"_

* * *

They'd been separated for merely a few minutes, but that was enough. While he and Ruff were sidetracked by the Changewings surrounding them, Tuff watched Heather go on alone. She wasn't too far away when she'd received the blast from the Monstrous Nightmare, nearly knocking her from the dragon. He'd never felt such raw terror in his gut until then. They'd gotten her to the healers soon enough, so the burn Heather had gotten did not end up costing her the arm she'd received it on. It was enough, though, to make Tuff stop and take a look at himself.

That was yesterday, but it seemed to Tuff that he was still feeling the gut-wrenching fear of his love being badly hurt. He didn't know what he'd do if she was actually really badly hurt, or worse.

"What's happened to me?" he asked himself in shock.

When he was younger, he always thought it would be just him. Just him and his friends and sister for as long as he was okay with it. Why did he have to fall for Heather? And why was it all coming tumbling down back on him? The weight of it caving in upon him was enough to crush him, he knew.

"What do I do?" he whispered as he walked through the darkness of morning. Then he realized, this was not the question he meant. He wasn't quite sure what the exact question he needed to ask himself was. However, he knew one that pertained more to the situation. "What do I say to her?"

That's right. What should he say to her? What could describe what he felt for her? What could describe the onslaught of torturous emotions attacking his head? Before, he didn't even think it was possible for anything to mess with his head, because he didn't pay attention long enough for it to effect him. But he was paying attention now. He was paying attention, and thinking. And she just had to be the root of it all. It felt like he was trying to grasp at some concept, something that was nagging at him. It was drawing so close to him, and he was reaching out towards it, finally about to reach its meaning. Then, just as he was grasping the concept with both hands, he fumbled and dropped it again, and he was back where he started.

She was doing this to him. And he wished he could hate her for that.

"No I don't," he said. "I could never… These things I'm feeling for her. I hate it, and I love it. It's so different from where I was before."

"Talking to yourself, Tuff?" he heard a familiar voice. That's when he looked around, realizing he'd stopped walking at the famous Berk cliffside where everyone seems to take there problems and try to get rid of them by staring at the angry crashes of the ocean waves below.

Tuff turned around to the source of the voice. "Oh, hey Snotlout," he said, giving his best friend a very dull greeting.

"Oh, looks like you're not in a very good mood. Of course, we all know why," Snotlout said, standing beside him and looking up at the sky, then down at the dark sea. "Why'd you come here?"

"To think," says Tuffnut, knowing it was exactly why he came, although it didn't really show the full extent of why he was here.

"Whoa," Lout says with a light smile, almost laughing. "I never thought of Tuffnut Thornston as one to be thinking." He locks eyes with Tuffnut, a comforting smile on his face as he grasps Tuffnut's shoulder. "I guess that's just how girls can change us."

Tuffnut gives back a halfhearted smile. "Yeah, you've changed a lot since you started dating Beth years ago," Tuffnut replies. "You used to be…"

"Go ahead, you can say it. I was an egotistical jerk that couldn't pass by a frozen puddle without gawking at the reflection," Snotlout says. "Beth was able to knock that out of me, but I still have my moments."

Tuffnut thought about that for a second. "Yeah, you certainly do have your moments. Let's hope Spite takes after his mother."

That makes both of them start laughing, although Tuff's is held back by what's going through his head. Like a true friend, Snotlout notices it.

"What's on your mind?" Lout asks.

"Oh, I'm not all that sure really," Tuffnut answers, looking around him. "I don't know what I want anymore. I don't know what I want from Heather." He pauses. "I mean, I don't know what to do. I can't let her get hurt, ever. I don't know what I can say to tell Heather, to convince her. I'd hate myself forever if something happened to her. But what do I say ?" Tuffnut asks this last question with fury in his voice, kicking out at the ground.

A new smile enters Snotlout's expression. A smile of realization. And liking what he realizes.

"You know what you want. You know what to say to her. I think you've known for awhile now," Snotlout tells him. Just as he had appeared a few minutes ago, Snotlout disappears into the darkness of the village, leaving Tuffnut alone to his thoughts.

The horizon, half blocked from his view by the actual island, was just beginning to show the first rays of light. The sky was slowly changing from indigo to purple, brightening just a bit with every second. He looked straight upwards, and there was the morning star. It seemed to brighten greatly, just before it began to dim as the first beginnings of a new day were arriving. It was morning. Today was beginning. A fresh start was coming.

And then, suddenly, he was finally able to grasp that missing concept nagging at him, gripping it firmly with both hands. It seemed to not completely reach his understanding, but then, he probably knew he'd never get it fully. He understood it enough, though, to make him firm in his resolve.

First, Tuff would tell Heather how much he loved her. Then he'd have to go find Johann and speak with him about his prices on jewelry, because the next conversation he planned to have with Heather would require a ring.

* * *

**(A/N) I would be extremely impressed if anyone detects the slight reference to Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, in this. It's very slight, so I wouldn't be surprised if no one got it. If you haven't read the play, I suggest reading it. It's one of those life changing stories that seem too simple to mean anything.**

**I'm probably going to start time jumping with this soon, so don't get confused.**

**So, how'd I do? REVIEW TIME!**


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